LILLIAN POVThe hotel door slammed behind me, the sound like a prison gate locking shut. My hands trembled violently as I tore through the room, yanking drawers open and throwing clothes into my suitcase with no care for folding. Silk blouses wrinkled, shoes tumbled disorderly—none of it mattered.The letter was leaked.The whole city knew.They would know everything now.My breath came in sharp, uneven gasps, my vision blurring with unshed tears as I gripped the edge of the dresser. Ten years. Ten damn years of carefully constructing a new life, a career, an identity—gone in an instant. Because of Drake’s broken promise.“Your secret is safe. Consider this gone.”A liar. A deceiver.I choked back a sob, my fingers fumbling with the zipper of my bag. It didn’t matter that Sharon had been the one to leak it. He had sworn to destroy it. And yet, here I was, running again—just like I had at sixteen, with my tail between my legs and my heart in tatters.My phone buzzed violently on the ni
CHAPTER 6DRAKE POVThe moment Lucas called my name, I turned—and my breath hitched.Lillian stood beside Salome, her dark eyes wide, lips slightly parted, her complexion pale. The conference hall lights caught the gold flecks in her eyes, making them glow bright like embers. She looked….stunning, beautiful.My wolf, Kael, stirred restlessly in my chest, a low growl rumbling through me. She was here. Lillian was here.But before I could take a step towards her, she appeared.Sharon.Her sickly sweet perfume invaded my senses as she draped herself over my arm, her long nails digging into my biceps like claws. “Drake, darling,” she purred, her voice laced with venom. “You didn’t tell me ‘Lily’ would be here.”Lillian flinched at the sound of her name, for it sounded as poison.“Drop it Sharon,” I snarled, my gaze never leaving Lillian. Lucas stepped forward, his usual easygoing demeanor gone. “Yeah, drop it,” he echoed, his voice loud and sharp. “You are embarrassing yourself.”Sharon
LILLIAN POV Sharon’s stiletto heels clicked against the marble floor like a countdown as she waltzed forward, her designer dress clinging to every curve. The moment her fingers curled possessively around Drake’s arm, the air turned to ice. “Well…well,” She purred, her voice dripping poison, her manicured nails digging into his sleeve. “If it isn’t Lily Stewart…..though I hear you go by Doctor Stewart now.” She laughed, the sound like shattering glass. The way she said my name, like it was something filthy, sent a tremor down my spine. “Tell me, did they give you that title out of pity too? Or did you sleep with the entire review board?” The crowd gasped. My cheeks burned, but I refused to flinch. Drake’s muscles tensed under her grip. “I told you not to come.” Sharon’s smile turned razor sharp. Her laugh was all teeth. “And miss this little reunion? Good thing I did. Otherwise, I wouldn’t have caught this low life—” she flicked her gaze over me, “—still trying to climb abov
LILLIAN POVMy head pounded like a war drum.I groaned and peeled my face from the pillow, wincing as sunlight stabbed through the crack in the hotel curtains. “Goddess, why did I drink so much last night?”Then it struck me—the conference.My stomach twisted, and I barely had time to roll over before I was gagging, my body convulsing as I dry heaved over the side of the bed. Nothing came up—just bile and regret.I collapsed back against the sheets, my breath coming in short, shaky gasps. The memories of last night flooded back in jagged pieces—the manor, the garden path, the snap of a twig, and then him.Drake.“Lillian?” “You look…good?”“He asked about you every year”Who? Drake?The same Drake who never noticed me when we were kids? The same Drake who had organized the whole school to mock me? Yeah right.I forced myself to sit up, my head spinning and dragged myself to the bathroom, my legs unsteady. The mirror showed a stranger—pale skin, dark circles under her eyes, her hair
DRAKE POV The sleek glass doors of my opulent office reflected the city lights as I leaned against my desk, arm crossed, listening to Andre’s latest escapade. Lucas, ever the composed one, rolled his eyes while sipping his coffee. “So then she said, ‘if you are the Alpha, why don’t you command me to stay” Andre smirked, wiggling his eyebrows. “….and I told her I do not need orders—my charm does the work for me.” I scoffed and lifted my glass mockingly at Andre. “One day, that charm of yours is going to land you in a den of angry she-wolfs with claws.” Lucas chuckled. “At least Andre here, tries to be smooth. You? You just glare until people…including she wolfs, submit.” Before I could retort, my phone buzzed. The screen flashed ‘Sharon’ in bold letters. I ignored it, sipping my drink, but the call persisted. I exhaled sharply, but I answered. “Yeah?” “Drake, baby, where are you?” Her voice was syrup sweet, laced with the tiniest edge of demand….like a bomb waiti
LILLIAN’S POV The cottage door creaked open before I could knock. Mum stood there, her apron dusted with flour, her grey streaked braids flying around at the ends. For an heartbeat, we just stared. Then her hands flew to her mouth. “Lillian” She gasped breathlessly. My name cracked in her throat like a bone. She lurched forward, crushing me against her chest. The scent of cinnamon and yeast…home, flooded my lungs. “I am sorry mum,” I whispered into her hair, my eyes wet with tears. “I am so sorry I stayed away—” She gripped my shoulders, her calloused thumbs digging in as she placed me at arms length, as her eyes roved around my body. “Look at you.” Her voice trembled. “My girl. All grown up and….” Her eyes flicked to my designer blazer, my manicured nails and muttered, “Different.” I flinched. Different. Not the tear stained, heartbroken girl who had fled Luxembourg in a hand-me-down coat. Inside, the cottage had not changed one bit. Same faded quilt on the sofa. Same